Never a big fan of chocolate éclairs until I tried fresh home baked éclairs filled with a blend of fresh whipped cream & custard & topped with melted Belgium chocolate!! The pastry is called Pâte à Choux or choux paste/pastry & it’s not too difficult to make! This recipe makes around 30 choc éclairs…use the best quality butter, cream & custard that you can afford. You can pipe the filling with a pointed nozzle or just cut the éclairs in half & fill. choux ingredients 120ml milk (for a lighter drier puff substitute the milk for water) 120ml water pinch of salt 1 teaspoon sugar 114gm butter 170gm sifted bread flour/all purpose plain flour 227gm eggs/4-5eggs – loosely whisked Filling Fill with ice cream, whipped cream & custard or pastry cream - fill them an hour before serving… chocolate glaze 90g coarsely chopped dark eating chocolate or 45g dark & 45g milk chocolate 45g butter Melt the choc & butter in a heat proof bowl over simmering water. When melted and combined & cooled slightly dip the top half of éclair. 1 Bring milk, water, salt & sugar to a boil over medium heat, stir constantly. When butter has melted add sifted flour all at once, stir vigorously to combine. Stir continuously until the mixture forms a mass & pulls away from the sides, around 3 min. 2 Transfer mixture to a mixer & beat briefly on med speed with a paddle attachment (this cools the mixture) before adding the eggs (if the mix is too hot the eggs will cook). 3 Gradually add eggs, beating until smooth after each addition, when the dough is glossy & appears to hold shape you can spoon into a piping bag and pipe 5cm apart onto baking paper lined oven trays. It’s up to you how long to pipe, those pictured are 9cms long & I used a 1cm round piping nozzle. 4 Bake in a 220 C (190 C fan) pre-heated oven for 10min, reduce heat to 180 C (160 C fan) for a further 10min. Find a weak point at each end of éclair to poke a hole (I use a chopstick) this allows steam to escape, pop them back in the oven for 5min to dry the inside of éclair. Cool before filling & glazing ENJOY!

(Recipe adapted from Mastering the Art & Craft - baking & pastry)

This bread is rich in fibre, natural oils, & is a healthy option full of flavour, sometimes I add some sultanas for a fruity twist. A slice of aged cheddar on a slice of bread toasted makes for a healthy, filling brunch.

sponge ingredients 50g rye flour 50g toasted sesame seeds 50g toasted sunflower seeds 50g toasted pumpkin seeds 50g poppy or linseeds 50g rolled oats 180ml water 5g instant dry yeast 5g malt extract or honey dough ingredients 300g bakers flour/bread/000 50g wholemeal flour 150ml water 10g sea salt 100g sultanas (optional) Mix all ingredients for the sponge, cover & rest until double in size (around 1hr depending on room temperature, the warmer the room the faster the proof) In another bowl (I use a kitchenaid mixer) mix remaining flours, water, salt, sponge, knead (add sultanas at this point), again I use the kitchenaid with dough hook & mix for 10min until smooth and elastic, firm but malleable. Rest in an oiled bowl until double in size, around 1-2 hrs. Shape into loaves/rolls/bagettes, wash with egg wash & sprinkle with a mix of seeds and proof for 1-2hrs until double in size, bake in a preheated 220 C oven for 20 min.